


for lack of a better word

by velvetry



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Awkward Romance, First Meetings, Fluff, Lots of blushing, Love at First Sight, M/M, Misunderstandings, jaeficfest, jaeficfest2020, they're dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:01:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26729344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetry/pseuds/velvetry
Summary: Sungjin only signed up for an one-time agreement to pick up his sister's daughter at the daycare since she was too busy. He clearly didn't sign up for driving back home being stupidly infatuated with a super adorable teacher he barely knew.On the other hand, the said teacher was equally lovesick as Sungjin, but the false idea of falling for a married man left him feel like he had committed a crime.In which, Sungjin and Jae fell in love with each other, but they were too dumb to make things work.
Relationships: Park Jaehyung | Jae/Park Sungjin
Comments: 7
Kudos: 39





	for lack of a better word

_ 5 pm this afternoon. dont forget or i’ll kill u. _

Sungjin typed a quick reply for his sister’s message and immediately focused his attention to the road once the phone notified him that his text was sent. The sky is painted in saturated orange and red tints, the puffy clouds are hanging still. It’s half past 4, and all over the airspace is the sign that this day is slowly heading towards its end. He’s on his way to pick up his sister’s daughter, Byeol, at the daycare near the Jung-gu district. Since the older woman’s currently caught up in work and Sungjin’s job as a freelance music composer has left him with a flexible schedule, she asked if Sungjin could lend her a helping hand. He still needed to work on a few projects, but he couldn’t say no since her sister and her husband are in a pinch. He couldn’t help but to agree, and tried to look at the brighter side. It’s been quite long since the last time he met his adorable niece, so it would be a great chance to catch up with her.

After a few good minutes of driving, he stopped the engine. The black range rover is now parked in front of the low rise building, coated in light beige paint with a colorful wreath hanging on the wooden door. The mini garden in front of the daycare itself is decorated with shrubs of the olive family and the sturdy branches of the camphor trees. He could see green spruces within a few miles radius, he could feel the wind blowing softly from his slightly opened car window, he could hear children’s laughter. All these pleasing attributes of nature and warm afternoon sunlight lighting up his skin. It’s a lovely atmosphere, indeed.

The 27-year-old stepped out of his car, making his way to the daycare’s entrance. He was greeted by friendly greetings from the teachers and a few kids bickering in the background.

“I’m here to pick up, uh, Park Byeol. I’m her Mom’s younger brother.”

He got a short ‘oh!’ from the short haired woman in the reception area as a quick response. She proceeded to say, “you must be Park Sungjin, right? Yeah, she called earlier to tell me about this.”

“Yes.”

“Alright, please wait for a second! I’ll tell her that you’re here. Or would you like to just get her by yourself?”

“Ah, I’ll just wait here. Thank you very much.”

“I see, I see. Okay then.” She flashed a perfect business smile before she walked towards one of the doors —presumably Byeol’s classroom—and yelled out loud. “Jae! Byeol’s guardian is here, tell her to get ready to head home and help her with her things!”

Although it was very faint, almost inaudible, Sungjin heard a chuckle and a soft voice from the room, muttering an ‘ _ okay, Byeol-ie. Time to head home! _ ’ and more childish small talk that he couldn’t remotely comprehend from the long distance and the lack of experience in having a stupid conversation with children.

“Baba!”

The little girl in the yellow romper with ribbons dashed towards Sungjin’s direction, hugging him tight the moment she saw him. Sungjin giggled at the nickname, welcoming her with open arms. Byeol is as lively as usual.Still with the same endearing smile and hearty laugh, wearing one of the clothes in her cute jumpsuit collections. The only noticeable difference lies in her hair. During this time of the year, Byeol’s mom will always be busy every morning, running here and there as she prepares breakfast and contact her clients, even sometimes deal with the annoying calls from her supervisor or dumb colleagues. She can barely cook sausages to put on top of the toast and whip a quick meal to put on Byeol’s lunchbox. There’s no way that she could possibly spare more of the little time she got to style her little daughter’s hair, but in fact, Byeol is doing tiny jumps in front of him with two little space buns, eyes shining so bright as she waits for him to compliment her new hairstyle.

“Hey, Byeol. It’s been so long, eh?” he slightly bent his knee to face Byeol, giving her the head pats that she’s been asking for. “Trying out a new style? I thought your mom’s not into fancy stuff like this.”

“Hehehe,” she giggled happily, “teacher Jae did it for me!”

Ah. Jae.

He’s pretty sure it was the guy whom the woman from earlier just called. Judging from the way Byeol’s eyes lit up when she mentioned the man’s name, he must be one of her favorites. Byeol usually complains about how the teachers are too nosy and asks too many questions, too stern and frowns all day, even though they don’t really do all that. It’s hard to please this little fella, but it seems like this Jae guy is darn good at his job.

“It looks pretty neat. I think it’s really cute, your Mom and Dad will probably say the same too. And these are so cute as well. They suit you perfectly, Byeol!” Sungjin smiles, pointing at the Cinnamoroll hair clips that Byeol is wearing. “You seem to like him a lot, eh? Look at that. Your eyes are sparkling.”

“Hee hee, you found me. Yes, yes! I like him a lot!” She nodded her head fast. “Are we in a rush?”

“Not at all. Do you still want to play on the seesaw before we head home?”

“Noo, it’s not that. I want you to meet him! He’s really, really nice, and I think he’s still in the classroom.” Byeol replied. “He said that it’s his first time trying to make these tiny buns on my head! He would be happy if I told him that you said he did a good job on it.”

Usually, Sungjin won’t sacrifice more of his precious time for unnecessary matters, but how could he say no to Byeol’s excited tone?

So, he just let Byeol drag him to the classroom. She barged in without knocking, pulling Sungjin’s hand eagerly.

“Teacher Jae!”

There’s a visible hint of shock on the said man’s face. He was sitting down near the corner, with a lunchbox on his lap. He’s charging his phone and munching on dino nuggets, the sleeves of his oversized pink sweater are slightly rolled up to his elbows. He was clearly flustered, getting caught while getting too comfortable on his own in the empty room.

Sungjin felt a bit guilty since he actually doesn’t need to be embarrassed. They’re the ones who entered without knocking and interfered with his belated lunchtime.

“Byeol, you should knock the door first.” He said.

“Teehee, sorry, Baba.” Byeol’s lips formed a pout, looking down as she began fidgeting with her fingers. “Sorry, Teacher Jae.”

Jae let out an awkward cough, and quickly brushed it off. “No, no. It’s okay!” He said. “Did you forget something here? How can I help you?”

Byeol shook her head. “Baba said that this looks good on Byeol and you did great! Just want you to know. And Byeol really really loves it so much!”

“Ah… is that so?”

Sungjin shifted his gaze to Jae’s face, noticing that his cheeks are getting redder at the compliment. He set his adorable eyes on Sungjin’s and bowed, before he immediately looked in the other direction. His cheeks are still covered in a bright shade of pink, as he probably didn’t see the praise coming.

“Thank you, sir. I’m also glad that you liked it, Byeol!” he muttered with his honey voice.

Preventing his mind from doing anything funny, Sungjin quickly looked away and replied with a short ‘you’re welcome’. His heart just skipped a beat.

The little girl waved at her beloved teacher. Sungjin, who’s currently panicking, thanked Jae for taking care of Byeol and rushed towards the parking lot. He opened the car door for Byeol, sat on the driver seat, turned on the engine, and headed home with this newfound interest and tingling sensation of adoration in his stomach, not knowing what to do with it.

***

“Sis, tell me, will you be busy tomorrow?”

“Yeah… I guess. There’s just, still so, so much work to do…”

“I can pick her up again if you’d like me to.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Huh?”

“Or, the day after. I don’t really mind. To be honest, I think that would be better for me. I don’t go out that much these days and I think I need to get some fresh air.”

His sister gave him a puzzled look, and he just replied with a reassuring smile.

“What’s gotten into you?"

***

“So, is that the guy you’re crushing on?”

Jae’s eyes widened at the coworker’s inquiry. “Excuse you. I have no idea what on earth you are talking about. I’m not having a crush on anyone, Kim Wonpil. Just get back to work, please.”

“You’re denying but look at your brain not functioning and your cheeks blushing afterwards.” Wonpil chuckled, pointing at the rosy cheeks on display. He averted his gaze to the view outside the tiny window, to the man with a navy shirt lounging idly in the waiting room, and now back to Jae. “We’re literally on break, silly! You do have an idea what on earth I’m talking about. You’ve been throwing heart eyes to that guy, dammit, just admit that you’re in love.”

“No!” Jae denied once again. “Ugh… just shut up and eat your lunch!”

Wonpil laughed, satisfied from all the teasing. He took his small canvas bag from the counter and lightly tapped Jae’s shoulders. “I’ll be eating with the kids. Catch you later, lovesick fella.”

Before Jae could throw rebuffs at Wonpil’s statement, the latter already left the staff room to join the kids outside. Jae puffed his cheeks, pissed off at himself. Was he really that easy to read?

Wonpil always babbled about how Jae has always been living like a saint fairy. He reads books in the library by himself as he loves to be surrounded by the scent of old books, he works with the kids in the daycare and claimed the title of ‘best teacher with the brightest smile’, he helps out at his grandma’s antique store that sells vintage stuff with magical touch on them every weekend, he wears pretty clothes in bright colors everywhere, he loves yellow (Jae still doesn’t get how did that trait made him a fairy), and most importantly, he’s never been in a relationship. Wonpil just recently got himself a boyfriend —Yoon Dowoon, a drummer that he met at a local club a few months ago—and that’s his first experience in love, but Jae’s just too fond of his buddy. That’s why he just let him talk the nonsense and preach about his miserable love life.

He’s not really the type who’s brave enough to take the initiative. And he always thought that he’s not that attractive to have people make a move on him first. On top of that, he’s just a very gauche man with no social cues.

Wonpil is his best friend, he knew about the tiny crushes Jae had on various people before. But all the twenty eight-year-old does is blush, look down, shyly talk to Wonpil about how cute they are, and not do shit about it. He just swooned over them secretly and waited for it to die down. 

_ Grandma always told me to take it slow. Things will eventually fall into place. _

Wonpil always nagged about how his grandma didn’t mean it that way and she would cry if Jae stayed single until he reached the age 30, but Jae never listened.

And a few days ago, he encountered this one fine man.

Maybe he just loves compliments. Maybe that guy was just too good looking. Maybe it was supposed to mean nothing.

But why did he think of him all the way home? Why did the crystal clear shots of his piercings, his brown casual coat, his beautiful dark eyes, keep popping on his mind as he took each step? Why did the clean and fresh scent of his cologne linger in his nose? 

Jae believes that there’s no such thing as love at the first sight, until that particular moment of realization.

Sure, he could just proceed with the usual series of acts. Just admire them from afar, keeping pictures of them in his memory, and wait for the crush to go away.

But this time, for one clear reason and several unknown reasons, Jae couldn’t do that. As he walked outside the staff room, he couldn’t help but throw a smile to the man. He never did this before, but now he’s asking cheap questions since he badly needs to start a small talk with him.  _ ‘Are you here to deliver Byeol’s lunch, sir?’, ‘how was your day?’, ‘I see, hope you have a nice day!’ _ , all those pathetic conversation starters. His heart was beating like crazy every time the man gave a smile along with his witty replies, and it’s not a good sign. He walked away after waving awkwardly.  _ Fuck, fuck, fuck, what the heck was I doing? Why did I do that? What was I thinking? _

Jae didn’t have the faintest idea to answer those questions, but he’s certain of one thing. One of the reasons why his heart was beating so fast was because he’s committing a crime:  _ falling for a married man whose daughter is being taken care of by him at the daycare _ . The rest of them remained unknown.

Maybe his head was just too clouded with guilt, or maybe, he was just too stupid at love.

***

It’s been almost a week since the day Sungjin decided that he will deliver Byeol’s lunch at 12 PM and pick her up at 5 later on, and since the day that he developed a huge crush on this blonde haired man.

He’s not that experienced unlike his workmate Younghyun, he’s not sure of the best way to approach Jae. He’s not that skilled in the art of flirting. More like, he’s a total dumbass.

He’s also pretty sure that he hasn’t properly introduced himself, as Jae kept on referring to him as just ‘sir’ in their small talks. And, yes, they also haven’t had a proper conversation.

Sungjin has only been staring at Jae whenever he got the chance to. He just admired his endearing manner whenever he talked to children from afar, gazing at every single move he made. He felt like a creep, and he’s been wondering if Jae is thinking of the same thing, since he always rushed from the scene with a horrified look on his face whenever they finished their quick, daily small talk which he might just did out of obligation. Of course every manager wants their employees to act nice around clients, right?

If he really does think of Sungjin as a creep, then it’s truly understandable. He’s been acting like one.

It's lunch break. Jae has entered the staff room, supposedly getting his adorable astronaut themed lunch set. Sungjin sat impatiently on the bench, gathering up his courage. He’s going to be the first to start a decent talk today. He’s going to finally make a move. He’s not going to chicken out again.

_ ‘How was your day?’, no, that’s too lame. ‘My name’s Park Sungjin, by the way. Nice to meet you’. Isn’t that too… stiff? And does my name matter that much to him? I’m not that important. Oh, come on, Sungjin. You fucking need to introduce yourself properly and you know it. Fuck, fuck. I’m so nervous. He’s coming. _

Sungjin raised an eyebrow when Jae came out empty-handed,  _ and of course _ , with a flustered look at his face when he noticed that Sungjin was staring at him.

He was about to leave, most likely returning to the classroom, but Sungjin couldn’t let him go just like that.

“Uh, hey, Jae?”

Sungjin could see that his back was tense, and he was taken aback by surprise.

“Ah, what is it, sir?”

“Uh, sorry… but I was just wondering, aren’t you going to eat your lunch?” he asked. “You’re heading back to the class without bringing anything. Sorry if I was being too nosy… again, just wondering.”

Oh, God. This cutie is blushing like crazy. He looked like he was about to explode, and Sungjin just felt so guilty. Was it his fault?

“I, umm… I left it at home. You know… woke up late and all that jazz.”

So that’s why.

Then, it’s now or never.

“Do you want to, like, go grab lunch together?”

***

Never in Jae’s wildest dreams he thought that he would be sitting face-to-face in a nearby eatery with the man that has been making his heart race even without a proper interaction before.

His awkward coughs broke the silence, and he came up with a question afterwards. “I don’t think I’ve introduced myself properly before, so, uh, I’m Park Sungjin.”

“O-oh. Nice to meet you.” Jae replied. “I’m Park Jaehyung. Just turned 28.”

“Wait, really?”

“Uh-huh… what’s wrong?”

“Ah, no, no, sorry. I didn’t mean to sound rude.” Sungjin explained himself, slightly blushing. “I never thought that you’d be older than me. I’m 27, by the way.”

“No need to apologize.” Jae looked down, almost making his maroon beret fall to the floor. He’s not sure if it’s the fluffy knit cardigan he’s currently wearing, or maybe the AC, or he just can’t help but massively blush that he could feel his own face heating up. “I get that often. I guess I look too… childish, eh?”

“No! You just look very young and pretty, that’s a great thing — ”

The younger guy immediately blushed after realizing what he’s saying then corrected himself. “ —no, no, I mean… uh, sorry. I mean, your skin is pretty. Oh, no, I mean, nice skin! That’s why you look young.”

Jae’s heart started to beat faster after hearing the compliment, and he just replied with an awkward expression of gratitude.

“Umm… thank you, sir—Sungjin.”

Sungjin cleared his throat, afraid he just made Jae feel uneasy with his dumb comments. “Anyway, is it alright if I still call you Jae?”

“Yeah, sure! I don’t really mind.”

The waiter delivered their order, and they began to eat while chatting. Even though it was still utterly awkward, both Jae and Sungjin were thankful that they could have a nice talk like this. Slow progress is still progress, right? 

Sungjin was able to learn that Jae can play the guitar but the last time he did was in highschool, so his skills already got rusty. Jae was also able to learn the reason why Sungjin was amazed when he mentioned his poor guitar skills were because he’s interested in music. In addition to that, he works in the exact same field. Then, they exchanged stories about how they ended up with their current job. 

“Have you always wanted to be a childcare worker, Jae?”

Jae took a sip of his iced tea and shrugged. “Mm, to be honest, I don’t really know. I don’t know why but it’s just that… It seems like children really like me. Like, they always surprisingly approach me, and they like being around me. That applies to lots of pets as well.”

“Is that so? That’s weird. Quite interesting.”  _ And cute _ , Sungjin thought to himself _. _

“Yeah! I’m fond of both, but sadly, I’m allergic to most animals. But I just want to make the most out of this, uh, strange ability?” Jae said. “My parents work overseas, so I live with my grandma. She always takes care of the children in our neighbourhood, and I learned a lot from her. She has always been a caring person who’s good with kids, and I look up to her a lot. That's how I ended up being a daycare teacher, I think.”

“I see. You love your grandma a lot, eh?” Sungjin asked and Jae just replied with a nod, with visible blushing cheeks. “I think that’s not a strange ability or something. You’re just very lovely, that’s probably why they enjoy being around you.”

_ Lovely? _

Why does Sungjin keep on casually throwing compliments and flattering words his way like that?

It’s the first time Jae has ever felt this appreciated. It’s really weird. Sungjin is just an acquaintance, and an hour ago he was just a stranger. He barely knows things about Jae and vice versa. But Sungjin keeps saying things like he’s adorable, he’s pretty, he’s lovely, and it just feeds his ego even more. He couldn’t help but flash a bashful smile, biting on his lower lip as he squirms in his seat. His actions earned a chuckle from Sungjin, and Jae wanted the ground to just swallow him whole right here right now. 

Jae felt like he was on cloud nine, but at the same time, the guilt snapped him out of his daydream back to reality.

_ Come on, Jae. Are you out of your mind? He already has a daughter! What the fuck are you getting your hopes up for? _

He quickly shook his head, brushing these thoughts away. He finished his food in a rush, and Sungjin was a bit startled as he noticed the sudden change. Once he’s done, he makes sure he doesn't leave anything behind and he gets all of his stuff with him. He took out his wallet and placed a sum of money on the table, then stood up. 

“Sir, I’m so sorry, and I’m so thankful for this opportunity to eat lunch with you!” he bowed formally, dared not look Sungjin at the face. “And… I, uh, I’m just so sorry! I’ll stop seeing you from now on, I swear, I’m sorry!”

After blurting out these things, he ran outside in a hurry. His face was red, his heart was aching. No, it’s for the better, right?

He left a completely bewildered Sungjin alone.

Though now a few miles apart, the voices echoing in their head are saying the exact same thing: _ I think I fucked up big time _ .

***

Great. It's obvious. Without question, Jae’s avoiding him.

Sungjin didn’t run into him yesterday, and today he saw the said man entering the staff room during lunchtime as usual, but he’s evidently trying hard to not make any eye contact. There’s a bitter taste of confusion and shame on his tongue. It’s beyond frustrating.

That accident felt like a fever dream. Was that real? He really wondered where he went wrong. He thought they were having a great time. Did he come on too strong? Was his flirting too much? Did he make Jae uncomfortable?

If he really did, then he’s doomed. But most importantly, he needs to apologize.

“Jae,” he called out right before the said man walked into the classroom. Sungjin thought to himself, it's still break time. There’s no need for him to rush, right?

Jae flinched a bit, refusing to look at him. His cheeks were red as usual.

“Uh… so-sorry!”

“Jae, look, I—”

"I, uh, need to go back to class soon..."

"Wait, I need to tell you something!"

Oh, damn.

After he realized that he just raised his voice, he noticed that Jae's colleagues were staring at them with a puzzled look on their face. Perhaps asking themselves what had gone wrong and pushed them to the point where Sungjin needed to awkwardly tug at Jae’s sleeves and the latter’s too scared to look at him in the eye, trying to get away but is barely making any move.

All eyes were on both of them.

“Well, I think… it would be better if we talk outside.”

***

Sungjin was leaning against the pole of the playground swing set, and Jae was busy kicking the dust. Sometimes, their eyes accidentally met, but Sungjin was too nervous to say a thing, and Jae was too embarrassed to even look at him in the eye. Minutes passed and it felt like hours. Not wanting to waste more time, Sungjin decided that it’s time to stop beating around the bush and just go for it.

“Look, Jae, I’m so sorry—”

“Sir, no, Sungjin I-I’m sorry if you—”

Another long moment of silence.

“You can go first,” Jae said shyly.

Sungjin took a deep breath. His lips parted after letting a sigh escape, and spilled the words that he had arranged the night before. He’s not sure if it’s the right thing to say, he’s not sure if he should ask for an explanation or just apologize, he’s not sure of anything. But this is his only chance to get this straight, if it’s still possible.

“So, I just want to say sorry, if by any chance I made you uncomfortable.” Sungjin scratched his nape, feeling tension in the back of his head. “Was it something I said? I’m so sorry that I need to ask about this, I should’ve known, but I truly had no idea why you left like that two days ago…”

“No, you didn’t make me uncomfortable at all! It’s just that…” the blonde haired man seemed to be struggling to find the correct words, his tensed body glued to the spot. “I… I’m just… so sorry.”

Dumbfounded, Sungjin raised an eyebrow.

“Um, then… what is it?”

“Huh, what?”

“If it wasn’t because of that… then why?”

“It’s… do you really have no clue?”

Sungjin replied with a nod.

“Aah, I can’t believe I need to say this out loud!” Jae yelled out his frustration and covered his face with two hands. Sungjin wondered if he shouldn’t have asked that question, because right now Jae is as red as a ripe tomato. He began to stutter, feeling like he could die from the embarrassment. “I like you, okay! I know, I know it’s wrong. That’s why, please, I’m sorry if I’m being overly confident, but please don’t greet me anymore when you see me, and, just, I don’t know, I’m so sorry!”

The younger man could feel his skin tingling, his chest occupied with the overflowing feeling of disorientation and euphoria. He’s still asking the same question,  _ is this even real? _

“I… I kinda like you too, though…?” Sungjin replied with a shaky voice. “Then why did you run away from me?”

_ Is this guy just teasing me? _ , Jae thought to himself. He stared at the guy in disbelief. “What do you mean? Yo-you already have a wife!”

Sungjin was completely taken aback. Were his ears kidding him?

“Excuse me, I have a  _ what _ ?”

“A… a wife, duh…?”

After getting his much needed few moments to recover from the shock, Sungjin almost threw back his head as he let out a loud laugh. He crossed his arms over his stomach as an attempt to catch his breath. Jae tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed.

“How in the hell did you come up with that assumption?” Sungjin asked after the laugh died down.

“W-wait, you don’t have one?” Jae threw another question as a response. “Then… Byeol?”

“She’s my sister’s daughter.”

His pupils dilated and his cheeks were once again drenched in a bright shade of red. “They, they just said you were her guardian… no one ever mentioned that you were her uncle, and, and, she calls you Baba!” Jae stuttered, gaze facing downward. “I, I thought… that means Papa or something, ugh…”

“Baba is the name of the huge teddy bear she got as a present on her third birthday, and she said it looked like me.” Sungjin clarified. “That’s why she began calling me Baba. And, I guess I’m sorry for not explaining, but I thought it was all self-explanatory and you’ve known that I’m her uncle from the beginning… I’m pretty sure Byeol’s dad had previously visited the daycare to pick her up at least once, am I wrong?”

Jae hated that he was right.

“Yeah, yeah, fair enough, but I don’t remember, okay! I didn’t pay much attention, or, like… he didn’t catch my attention like you do... oh shit, what am I saying?” Jae’s feeling so lightheaded from the flurry of joy from the sudden confession and the embarrassment. “Geez! Why did I bring this upon myself again?”

“Wow. I never knew that you liked me that much.”

“Gosh. I… all I do is showcase my stupidity in front of you.” Jae said. “Like, my dino nuggets, and that day when I forgot my lunch box because I woke up late… now, I, I fucking mistook you as a married man… and now I'm babbling about my stupid crush on you even though no one asked. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Rather than embarrassing, I find that really cute.”

“Please don’t say things like that.”

The precious sight unfolded in front of him painted a wide smile on Sungjin’s face. The way his eyes crinkled, the way he tried to bury his face in his hands once again, the way he looked so tiny and cute in his pretty peach colored wool jumper.

“I’m not reading this wrong, right? We both like each other.”

Jae nodded shyly. Though the idea still sounds unreal and false, it’s true. The feelings are mutual and Sungjin sighed in relief.

“I wish you knew how much I just want to kiss you right now, but I don’t want to be reckless and rush things. We still need to get to know each other, hm?”

“Yeah…”

Sungjin flashed a charming smile at Jae, staring into his eyes fondly. “Alright. Let’s get some coffee and talk some more once you’re done with work, then? Or whenever you’re free. But promise me that you won’t suddenly chug down your coffee in an instant and rush outside later.”

“I won't!” Jae pouted. “I’ll have another break at around 3 PM later… maybe around that time? You need to drive Byeol home at 5, right? I think we got enough time.”

“Yeah, sure. That sounds good.” Sungjin answered. “Lunch break is about to end. Aren’t you going to go back?”

“Ah, yeah… you’re right.”

“Can I come with you for a bit? Might as well say hi to her.”

“Mm-hm! She will be very happy.”

Before Jae could turn his back and head to the daycare, Sungjin tugged at his sleeves again. Jae raised an eyebrow, asking if the blushing man needed something.

“Can I hold your hand… just for a while?”

This is probably what his grandma meant when she gave her word of wisdom about that thing he didn’t understand as a kid, on that one hazy summer day in the past. _If you don’t get what you seek for, don’t worry. Things take time and fate will lead you to a lot of beautiful things._

Sungjin looked a bit tense. He gulped his saliva, as nervous as Jae is. It made Jae feel better, knowing that Sungjin’s as dumb as he is at stuff like this. He extended his hand in an awkward manner, trying to look at Jae straight in the eye as he did so. Smiling, both were drowning in the comfortable silence.

The sun was very warm that day. The leaves were swaying gracefully, the radiant shine was lighting up the excitement filled playground. Even the outgrown vines look beautiful. Everything was effortlessly beautiful when he intertwined Sungjin’s fingers with his. His hand was big, a bit rough, but it was very warm. Jae could smell the scent of Sungjin’s perfume better this way. His mind already took flight, wandering everywhere. He began to wonder. If it’s already this nice and clear just from their current distance, how strong would the cedarwood scent be when Sungjin held him? Engulf him with his warmth, completely attached to each other, humming to each other’s heartbeats as if it was a lullaby on a cozy evening?

Jae blushed and giggled. He doesn’t know how long it will take, but he knows that surely, he’ll make his way to the arms where he belongs.

They will take their time.

**Author's Note:**

> yo dear prompter im sO SO SORRY IF THIS ISNT WHAT YOU WANTED,, i suck at writing fluffs, i really do. but i hope you can enjoy this failed attempt lol. i'm glad that i can contribute to the parkbros tag, this is very rewarding <3
> 
> [hmu on twt!](http://twitter.com/p4rkbros)


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